Li Yong

Life

The son of Li Shan, Li Yong supplemented his father’s annotation of the Wenxuan, adding illustrative matters and clarifying its meaning so that both versions circulated. He became known at an early age, was widely learned and possessed a strong memory, and was also extravagant and unconstrained by minor proprieties.

His genealogy places Li Ke among his direct ancestors. His wife was a woman of the Wen clan; his daughter is identified only as Li (732–786), and his nephew was Li Xuan. His sons included Li Qi (719–748), Li Qiao (731–776), and Li Ying (李穎); another son is given as Li Ying (李潁) and died in 790. His grandson was Li Zhengqing (771–844).

At the beginning of the Chang’an era under Wu Zetian, Li Qiao and others recommended him as a man of elevated literary talent and upright conduct, and he was appointed Left Reminder. Under Zhongzong, his friendship with Zhang Jianzhi led to his appointment as magistrate of Nanhe and later demotion to registrar in Fuzhou.

The chronology of his appointment as Palace Censor of the Left Bureau is disputed: one account places it in the first year of Tanglong (710), while another places it after Xuanzong’s accession. He was then transferred to Vice Director of Revenue and later demoted to assistant magistrate of Shecheng in Yazhou.

In Kaiyuan 3 (715), he entered government as Director in the Ministry of Revenue and was sent out as Sima of Kuozhou; in Kaiyuan 13 (725), he became prefect of Chenzhou, but was demoted to county lieutenant of Zunhua in Qinzhou for embezzlement and violation of the law. From Kaiyuan 23 (735) onward, military merit brought successive appointments as prefect of Kuo, Zi, Hua, and Wei; his career also included prefectural offices or commanderies at Jiangxia, Nanping, Donghai, Jiyun, Zichuan, Lingchang, Jiqun, and Beihai.

Early in the Tianbao era, he served as governor of Jiqun and Beihai and became known as Li Beihai, ending his career as governor of Beihai. Long in possession of a distinguished reputation, he incurred the enmity of powerful officials; in 747 Li Linfu framed him on charges, and he was beaten to death. Under Daizong, he was posthumously awarded the office of Supervisor of the Palace Library.

Literature and calligraphy

Li Yong excelled in prose and calligraphy, particularly in writing stelae in regular-running script. He modeled himself on Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi while developing a manner of his own; his reputation in running-cursive calligraphy was especially strong, and stele eulogies were his particular specialty.

Even while serving away from court after demotion, officials and monasteries throughout the empire brought gold and silk to commission his writings. He produced several hundred pieces and accepted gifts worth tens of thousands.

Du Fu held his “Six Eulogies” in high esteem; when a stone version came to light, its archaic diction was praised as a masterpiece of its age.

One account connects him with a name derived from the legend of the Yellow Crane Tower: a stele bears the signature “Huang Xianhe,” said to have inaugurated the practice of using scenic sites or legends as sobriquets; afterward, dozens of people were named with Huanghe or Huanghu. Surviving stelae include the “Stele of Lushan Temple,” also known as the “Stele of Yuelu Temple,” and the “Stele of Li Sixun.”

Works and associations

The seventy-volume Collection of Li Yong has been lost; Ming scholars compiled the Collection of Li Beihai. The Complete Tang Poems preserves four poems, while the Outer Collection of the Complete Tang Poems and the Continuation of the Supplement to the Complete Tang Poems add seven more. Some critics also judged that his poems contained many repetitive lines and that they became fully successful only after half of them were removed.

Li Bai addressed him in a letter entitled “On Presenting a Letter to Li Yong.”

He exchanged poems and prose with Zhongzong of Tang, Li Xian, Li Zhifang, and Princess Taiping.

His other exchanges of poems and prose involved Du Fu, Quan Deyu, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, Gao Shi, Li Qiao, Wang Changling, Cui Hao, and Lu Xiang.

Influence

One later account names Liu Jue (1410–1472) as one who followed Li Yong’s painting style.